In recent years, a digital multifunctional peripheral (MFP) having a plurality of functions including a copy function, a printer function, a facsimile function, and a scanner function has become popular. The MFP is provided with a large document platen so that documents comprising sheets of paper up to A3 size can be read normally. When performing copy with this MFP, a user closes a document cover with a document set on the document platen to execute scanning.
At this time, the document cover is closed to hide the document so that the user can not see the document. Thus, the user can leave the document set on the document platen behind carelessly after obtaining a copy. Especially, when copying a relatively small-sized document, such as a driver's license, a name card and an L-sized picture, the document is often left behind without being noticed the existence thereof.
Meanwhile, an input display in which a relatively small-sized liquid crystal panel has a function for reading a document placed on a screen in addition to a conventional display function for displaying image data on the screen attracts public attention (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-179977). When a portable terminal such as a PDA is mounted with this input display, a card-sized document can be easily read and captured. Note that, the input display generally employs an area sensor. The area sensor captures an image of an object through a photoelectric conversion element provided on a plane as electric signal and therefore does not need to scan the photoelectric conversion element as it is different from a line sensor and it does not need a motor and the like for scanning.
Further, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-204239 describes that a wireless IC tag reader integrally provided with a display portion of a personal computer reads and displays IC tag information. Such a technology of the wireless IC tag is also applied to an MFP, and, for example, a system has been known that a wireless IC tag reader is provided in an MFP to make it possible to pay a copy charge by electronic money using a wireless IC tag.
However, in the conventional technique including the technique described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-179977, since it is not considered to use the input display in combination with the MFP, the document can not be read on a liquid crystal display portion of the MFP.
Furthermore, in a normal operation of the MFP, since various operation keys are displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal display portion, when a document is simply placed on the screen, there is a problem that the various operation keys are hidden by the document to interrupt the operation.
Further, when using an MFP with an IC card or a mobile phone having an electronic money function by a wireless IC tag, just by providing a wireless IC tag reader in a liquid crystal display portion of the MFP and putting the wireless IC tag in which electronic money information is stored close thereto, it is possible to pay a copy charge and the like. In this case, a user is able to perform operation inputting, document reading, and wireless IC tag reading from the liquid crystal display portion of the MFP, thus making it possible to execute a plurality of different functions only with the liquid crystal display portion and improvement of the operability can be expected.
However, in the technique disclosed in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-179977, since it is not considered to use the input display in combination with the MFP, the document can not be read on the liquid crystal display portion of the MFP.
Further, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-204239, since it is not considered to use the wireless IC tag reader by incorporating it into the liquid crystal display portion of the MFP, the wireless IC tag can not be read by the liquid crystal display portion of the MFP.
Further, in order to perform reading of a document and reading of a wireless IC tag on the liquid crystal display portion of the MFP, it is necessary to switch the liquid crystal display portion from a document reading mode to a wireless IC tag reading mode, or vice versa, however, the conventional technique can not switch over one mode to the other.